H-E-B is launching a fundraising campaign with The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center to help create a future free from cancer. Beginning Aug. 16 and running through Sept. 12, H-E-B customers will have the opportunity to make $1, $3 and $5 donations at the register. A portion of campaign funds raised in San Antonio will be donated to UT Health San Antonio MD Anderson Cancer Center, a new clinical partner serving San Antonio and South Texas, and MD Anderson in Houston. During last year’s campaign, H-E-B raised more than $400,000 for MD Anderson.
“Cancer has impacted countless customers, H-E-B Partners and communities,” said Winell Herron, Group Vice President of Public Affairs, Diversity and Environmental Affairs, and a member of the Board of Visitors at MD Anderson. “That’s why it’s important for H-E-B to continue our longstanding support of MD Anderson. Every H-E-B and Central Market store in Texas will donate all proceeds from this fundraising campaign, which benefits potentially lifesaving research.”
Created in 1941, MD Anderson continues to be a leader in cancer care throughout Texas and the world. Last year, MD Anderson cared for nearly 135,000 patients. Since 1944, 1.2 million patients have sought care at MD Anderson, which U.S. News & World Report has ranked the nation’s top cancer hospital, for the 13th time in 16 years.
“It takes a team to defeat cancer,” said William Henrich, M.D., MACP, president of UT Health San Antonio. “Through our collaborative efforts, we are taking an integrated approach—teams of physicians, researchers, scientists, caregivers, our academic and university systems, and dedicated community partners—to fight this terrible disease.”
Along with the in-store effort, an H-E-B trailer marked with a strike-through of the word “cancer” will visit cities across Texas throughout the month-long campaign. At each stop, Texans are encouraged to take a picture with the 18-wheeler and post the photo on social media, using the #endcancer hashtag and tagging @heb. H-E-B will donate $1 for every picture taken, for a total of up to $5,000.
“MD Anderson is honored to partner with such a beloved Texas brand as H-E-B,” said Marshall E. Hicks, M.D., president ad interim of MD Anderson. “We’re excited our strike-through-cancer logo will travel the state on H-E-B trailers spreading the message of our shared commitment to Making Cancer History for all Texans and people around the world.”
The tour will include the following stops:
Aug. 16: MD Anderson Cancer Center at 1515 Holcombe Blvd., Houston
Aug. 19: H-E-B Park at 1616 S. Raul Longoria Rd, Edinburg
Aug. 20: H-E-B at 2250 Boca Chica, Brownsville
Aug. 26: H-E-B plus! at 1150 NW Loop 1604 W (Blanco and 1604), San Antonio
Sept. 2: H-E-B plus! at 1821 S. Valley Mills Dr., Waco
Sept. 9: Discovery Green at 1500 McKinney St., Houston
About H-E-B
H-E-B, with sales of more than $23 billion, operates more than 370 stores in Texas and Mexico. Known for its innovation and community service, H-E-B celebrated its 110th anniversary in 2015. Recognized for its fresh food, quality products, convenient services, and a commitment to environmental responsibility and sustainability, H-E-B strives to provide the best customer experience at everyday low prices. Based in San Antonio, H-E-B employs more than 100,000 Partners in Texas and Mexico and serves millions of customers in more than 300 communities. For more information, visit heb.com.
About MD Anderson
The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston ranks as one of the world’s most respected centers focused on cancer patient care, research, education and prevention. The institution’s sole mission is to end cancer for patients and their families around the world. MD Anderson is one of only 47 comprehensive cancer centers designated by the National Cancer Institute (NCI). MD Anderson is ranked No.1 for cancer care in U.S. News & World Report’s “Best Hospitals” survey. It has ranked as one of the nation’s top two cancer hospitals since the survey began in 1990, and has ranked first 13 times in the last 16 years. MD Anderson receives a cancer center support grant from the NCI of the National Institutes of Health (P30 CA016672).
About UT Health San Antonio
The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio with missions of teaching, research and healing, is one of the country’s leading health sciences universities. Now called UT Health San Antonio™, its schools of medicine, nursing, dentistry, health professions and graduate biomedical sciences have produced more than 33,000 alumni who are advancing their fields throughout the world. With four campuses in San Antonio and Laredo, including an NCI-designated cancer center featuring an Institute for Drug Development that conducts one of the largest oncology Phase I clinical drug programs in the world, UT Health San Antonio is the primary driver of its community’s $37 billion biomedical and health care industry. For more information on the many ways “We make lives better®,” visit www.uthscsa.edu.